Interior Health(IH) has ordered the closure of the pool, hot tubs, and restaurant at the Spruce Hills Resort, effective immediately.
In a statement issued on December 5, IH advised the public of health risks at the Resort and Spa due to contraventions with the BC Public Health Act and the Drinking Water Protection Act.
The health authority advises the public to avoid using the resort’s facilities until they not longer pose a risk to public health.
“Spruce Hills Resort has had a number of orders and tickets issued to them over the last few years,” says Courtney Zimmerman, the Corporate Director of Environmental Public Health and Licensing for Interior Health.
She says Interior Health has received around 20 complaints about Spruce Hills over the last couple of years. So far in 2025, IH has received 14 complaints from members of the public who stayed at the resort.
“In the last four years, Interior Health has had over 200 enforcement actions against this facility. Those actions are everything from inspections, complaint inspections, orders, tickets, and court appearances. We chose to issue this public service announcement because when [IH] goes to the facility and puts the orders up, the next time [IH] returns to the facility, the orders have been pulled down.”
Zimmerman says the resort has had a boil water notice on its drinking water supply for several years. During one of IH’s recent inspections, the facility has not been notifying the public who are using the facilities of the boil water notice.
The resort has also been ordered to close its restaurant due to concerns and complaints about its food preparation and handling practices.
In addition, the pool and hot tubs have been ordered closed due to inspections and concerns that the facilities have been operating without proper cleaning and disinfection services. According to IH, unapproved changes have been made to the mechanical systems of the pool and hot tubs, posing a risk to suction and entrapment hazards that are deemed unsafe for public use.
In one of IH’s more recent complaints, the health authority received in October and in the last few weeks, an inspection completed by Technical Safety BC identified concerns in the resort’s mechanical rooms that resulted in the rooms being deemed “unsafe for environmental health officers to enter” the back rooms of the pool.
“Because we’re unable to determine what additional risks are in the facility, and it was realized it was unsafe for an environmental health officer to enter the back of the facility, we decided it was time to notify the public, as it appears the risks are escalating,” Zimmerman says.
“We’re very concerned about the public unknowingly using these facilities. We’re currently working with our legal team on the next steps. At this time, we’re working with other agencies like Technical Safety and BC Crown Counsel to see what our next steps are with this facility.”
IH says it will continue to monitor the report into Spruce Hills and says it will take further enforcement action under provincial legislation, if necessary, to address public health concerns.
This would include the resort working with environmental health officers, and bringing in engineers to assess the pool, hot tub, and restaurant to ensure any changes made to the systems are safe, and take corrective actions.
The Health Authority also advises the public to contact their health care providers if they suspect they have become ill after swimming, eating, or drinking at Spruce Hills.
Anyone who has a public health concern towards Spruce Hills, or any other business, is advised to contact the IH Environmental Public Health department to file a complaint.
Vista Radio contacted Spruce Hills for a comment. The operator said the “concerns aren’t true” and refused to give an interview.
** Story has been updated to include Courtney Zimmerman’s comments **
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